Do people ever get really pissed off at your Eco driving??

[elhigh]

I only saw this topic today, but it struck a nerve because of an incident two days ago.

I pulled off the Interstate and went toward a department store for some items. The light ahead of me was green, but the light beyond that - maybe another hundred yards or so - was red.

I took my time. No point in hurrying to a stop, right? But I could see the driver behind me, waving and flapping at me, making very unambiguous "hurry up you slowpoke twit" sort of gestures.

Never mind that the upcoming light was red. Never mind that there was a stack of cars at the light, five deep. Never mind that there was no possible advantage to be gained by hurrying to the light.

My turn came up as we approached the stop light. It was still red and I still hadn't accelerated at all, especially not for the jerk behind me. As I moved into the turn lane he tromped the gas and lurched up to the stack of cars waiting for the light and lurched again to a stop because, of course, they were all stopped and now so was he.

I continued on my merry way, having not changed my speed at all and timing my arrival at the end of the turn lane so traffic would have cleared and I could continue around the corner without stopping.

So, does my ecodriving piss off other drivers: unequivocally, sometimes, YES. But I don't think they're aware that there are lessons to be learned.

[Xist]

People claim that happiness is a choice. They are alleging I choose to be unhappy? Thanks.

I do think we have some ability to choose our responses, though. We can definitely choose how we drive. People cut me off all of the time and sometimes it irritates me. They often need to slam on their brakes for stopped traffic they should have already known was coming, but it amuses me when they brake immediately, for whatever lesson they believe that would teach, but they speed up so much they usually do not actually brake enough to inconvenience me.

[bikeprof]

LOL...
Coincidence that you are in Mesa!
So you have had the experience of PHX drivers changing lanes to the one in front of you and BARELY missing your front corner, have you not?
ARGH !

[MJamson]

When I am really paying attention to the road I get a feeling of what somebody is planning to do, and so now I rarely get cut up. Granted somebody will pull in without any form of indication and leave no space, but they have done something first so that I'm expecting it (perhaps be swerving on the road or on the seperation lines, it almost always occurs around junctions).

I think that it is from being a truck driver for too many years.

Often I'll just ease off as soon as they make the move, other times (if I'm in a mischevious mood) I will put myself in a position to block them.

[ksa8907]

I took a job last year an hour away. I now drive much faster than is necessary and very rarely get passed. I am one of those aggressive drivers.

[Xist]

Full-sized pickups and SUVs passing me without fully leaving the lane?

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

I took a job last year an hour away. I now drive much faster than is necessary and very rarely get passed. I am one of those aggressive drivers.

I wound up taking the kids to camp more often this year and found a better route to get to the really big highway, meaning getting to work on time was almost in sight. My 30 miles of hoping to draft turned into a 30 mile sprint and I think maybe two people passed me and stayed ahead of me over the summer. Coincidentally, I haven't seen a single tank over 50 mpg this year.

Oh, and a Fit with hard tires hitting a bump in traffic on an arched bridge at 85 is pretty exciting.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Xist

Full-sized pickups and SUVs passing me without fully leaving the lane?

They do that to my fathers motorhome as well, even when 10 over the limit.
Even had one guy clip our trailers fender well and we didn't know it until we got to a gas station.

I learned long ago, unless I was driving some sort of F1 McClaren at full speed there was always someone going to pass me, so I figure its a

stupid and dangerous game to worry about.

[Ordnung]

I'm lucky enough to have wide highways between my home and work.

I can see how efficient driving could annoy people who dont get it in some areas though

[campisi]

I drive the speed limit when there is only one lane but when there's passing lanes I'll drop to 5 below. I'm very cognizant of drivers coming up behind me, mergers etc and adjust speeds and lanes to try to make life as comfortable as possible for everyone. I still get people that will fly by me at light speed cuz they were delayed by 1 second to get to the next traffic light.
I notice that I am treated very differently depending on which car I'm driving. I have an old beat up 94 Nissan D21 pickup that I can drive at 55 in a 65 and no one gets pissed but if I try that in my wife's Lexus or my newer more modern looking car people get their panties in a wad. I think they just figure that the old dude who can barely afford to even drive (the D21) has enough problems to deal with - cut him some slack!